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On the Blog

Gandhi once said, “To forget how to dig the earth and tend the soil is to forget ourselves.” And, gardening, our author says, can be a precise mirror for the soul. A story of friendship, vigil, and tending and depending upon the Earth from the bucolic fields of the Italian countryside.

A metaphorically rich reminder that the "hard" values we so often revere and strive for in this modern world often supplant the necessary gentleness required to cultivate relationships, understanding, and love of one another.

How can we encourage our children (and ourselves) to work hard at mastering skills that evade us? Courtney Martin on delaying judgment, giving time to develop grit and resilience, and flailing at those things we're not naturally good at.

A viral post showing images inside the sacred site in Mecca inspired awe and adoration from Muslims around the world, and controversy. But Omid Safi finds power in the revelation of the center, the heart of the Ka'ba, and an opportunity to turn inward to the beloved.

With news reports swirling about the fallibility of structures, the Buddha's teachings on volition point us to the crucial importance of our own intentions, the responsibility in our actions, and therefore for our own freedom. An outlook on a way forward to our own accountability.

Rather than grieve for the loss of “normalcy,” a mother of a child with refractory seizure disorder chooses to exult in her being exactly the way she is. Weaving in the Four Noble Truths, she marvels at the gifts of intimacy, false notions of power and control, and the hope and humor that follows.

A mother reflects on curating an updated library of children's literature for her daughter to read — one that speaks to "the full spectrum of brown and black folks to mitigate the future onslaught of ubiquitous whiteness" and people she could imagine being.

The Magic Hedge is an oasis on the outskirts of Chicago renowned for its excellent birdwatching. With the hopes of sighting of a rare bird, two friends venture forth to encounter small miracles, the warmth of unexpected community, and the blessings of stillness.

More than 25 percent of us may be jeopardizing the "good life" by blindly pursuing more to keep up with the Joneses? Courtney Martin on operating on income autopilot and re-interpreting our financial wealth.